The moment Chicago Bears fans found out the details of their stunning trade of wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, they realized that general manager Ryan Poles had made a fantastic deal.
Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick were traded to Buffalo in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke to NFL executives about AFC teams' offseasons, and one of them certainly had some thoughts on the Moore trade.
“D.J. Moore was gonna get cut, and they gave up a second-round pick to get him,” one executive told Sando. “They gave up a second-round pick and $40 million (in guarantees). What is going on?”
Ryan Poles pulled off a great trade involving DJ Moore for the Bears
Moore's tenure with the Bears got off to a good start, as he recorded a career-high 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023. Over the last two years, though, his production had dipped to 966 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, and to a career-low 682 yards and six touchdowns last year.
Chicago is putting their trust in Luther Burden and Rome Odunze to be the leading receivers on the team for 2026, as both players have proven themselves worthy of the role. Don't forget the Bears also have Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet at tight end, and they are great targets in the passing game.
The aspect of Moore on the Bears that will be missed is his leadership and what he meant to the team. There were multiple times throughout the 2025 campaign when he dealt with injuries, but he never missed a game all season.
Read more: NFL executives got brutally honest about Bears' defense in 2026 offseason
Moving forward to 2026, the Bears might need to add at least one wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft to fill in that WR3 role, but Poles absolutely made the right call in making the trade happen. Now the Bears have two second-round picks and can continue to build the roster for the future with great talent.